Friday, July 29, 2011

Saturday Somethin' Somethin'

I am bringing you Saturday's feature a day early, because we're headed out to the lake for the weekend and, for the life of me, I can't get the scheduled post option to work on Blogger. Buggers.

This weekend's feature is a bit of a trip down memory lane.

The weather for the past few weeks has been just beautiful and it's got me wishing that my yard was not so hillbilly so I could get out and lounge in the sunshine without first having to wade through 3' tall weeds!

It's got me nostalgic for the days we lived in our condo and had our roof top patio.


The total area of our deck was roughly 700 sq ft. It was really private since none of our neighbours used theirs. When we bought our condo, the roof looked like this:


A few years after we moved in we got to work on this space. Can you tell Mr. Mel is excited about getting this space completed?


And, after much work, it ended up looking like this (click on the photos to enlarge and get a better view):


I really miss my roof deck. It was such a unique and unexpected space. I can't imagine ever having a home that would allow me to have one again so these photos will just have to do.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Happy Anniversary to....Me!


Today marks eight years since Mr.Mel and I said our "I do"s.


I can't believe how fast the past eight years has flown by. I recall nearly every moment of that day. Considering that it's so fresh in my memory, it's hard to reconcile just how much time has passed...2920 days! (not that I'm counting - wink wink)


I look at photos from that day and I realize that, even at 25, I was just a babe. I had so much to learn, we both did. To us, the wedding was just a formality, we wanted to be married and get on with it! Ha ha. We had big plans. We thought we were invincible!

In eight years, we've seen the little ones around us get to be not-so-little, we've travelled, there have been career changes, and we've DIY'd. Oh goodness, have we DIY'd! From our modest little apartment to our current custom built home, it's been a labour of love (and, of course, sweat and tears).

The past eight years have been full of so much fun, I can hardly wait to see what`s next!


Thursday, June 30, 2011

Happy Canada Day, Eh!

Ahhh, finally sunshine and warm temps after months of water, flooding, and rain!

July 1st is Canada Day and I am off to celebrate with the whole fam damily! We are headed out to the lake for the long weekend to camp and party, Canadian-style!


We'll be drinking beer...


Playing horseshoes...


And we'll end each day with s'mores and a campfire!


Have a wonderful July 1st!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Delish - Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

I love the Kraft website for quick and easy meals. Today's meal was just that...quick, easy and yummy!


Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix
1 cup water
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Kraft Italiano)

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and Italian seasoning until well blended. Press evenly into 8 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray; make an indentation in centre of each with back of spoon.

Spoon pasta sauce evenly into indentations in meatloaves.

Bake 30 min. or until meatloaves are cooked through (160F). Top with cheese; continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 min. before serving.



Delish - Strawberry Salsa

Mr. Mel and I like to eat well. Too well sometimes. I suppose that might explain the 20-some pounds we've both packed on since we got married eight years ago. I like to think of it as love pudge...ok, yuck.

Anyhoooooo.....a few years ago, in an attempt to be more organized, I started to plan our dinners. First, I planned a week at a time, then a few weeks, now I plan a whole month's dinners at one go! It's been great for Mr. Mel and I. I get to indugle my obssessive need for organization, we try tons of new recipes, and it's helped Mr. Mel learn to cook! Squeeeee!

Some of the recipes we try are just too good not to share. I'll be posting some of our favs, and any that we've really enjoyed, with the recipe and photos! C'mon, who doesn't love pictures of food?!
 
A co-worker shared this recipe with me and I am so glad she did! It's the perfect treat for summer and a refreshing twist on a traditional salsa. I made this batch for a co-workers birthday, but I had to sneek a cup for Mr. Mel and I to do some quality control testing first!


Strawberry Salsa

3 cups diced strawberries
1 cup diced yellow pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
3 finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup Catalina salad dressing
a dash (or two) of Tobasco

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips/scoops.


Saturday, June 11, 2011

More Floors

I hope I didn't have you believing that I was having even more work done on my floors! ::wink wink:: Nope, these floors belong to my parents, and it's about time they get updated!

Let me give you the skinny on the 'rents. They are, quite possibly, the hardest working people I know. Mom grew up the eldest of seven kids on a farm just outside of town. She was always hustling us three kids off to various activities and classes, attended university classes in the evening, all while working a full time job! She painstakingly hand stitched thousands of sequins on countless numbers of my dance costumes, noting that only lazy moms put them through the sewing machine! She taught me to read, to sew, and how to french braid. All valuable skills, right? 

In the past few years, mom has experienced a decline in her health but, always stubborn and self-sufficient, hates to accept help and would much prefer to do things on her own. Gotta respect that!


Daddio is a real character! There is no doubt that I inherited my pigheadedness and goofy sense of humour from him. He's one of those men that appear rough and tough on the outside, but is really just a big softy. My dad believes that women can and should do anything a man can, especially his daughters! From the time I was a wee one he taught me how to do everything from change a tire to build a shed. And thank goodness he did because I married a man who doesn't know how to do any of those things! He helped me buy my first car, and still comes with me when I negotiate on a vehicle...if only now to lend moral support, because he taught me well in the art of the deal! Dad is still working hard at a job he loves and takes alot of pride in, I honestly can't imagine the day he'd seriously consider retirement.


My parent's home was built in 1995. Right at the time when brass, white kitchens, and berber were all the rage. Well, now it's 2011 and the house is looking a bit dated. First thing to go? The black vinyl and blonde laminate flooring in the main floor! The floor long ago lost it's lustre and I never real did care for the laminate.


The main floor is open concept so the idea is to lay one floor throughout. Given that my parents have debated selling the house so weren't keen on spening money that they wouldn't get a healthy return on, we elected to go with another laminate, only a much higher end one than is there right now! Enter Vienna Laminate from Beaulieu Canada in Acacia.


I love that this laminate comes in a variety of widths. The 'rents chose to go with 5 1/2" wide planks, and the colour they chose is my absolute fave! I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the finished product, it looks amazing! Wowie wow, I cannot say enough about how far laminate products have come! Take a look for yourself...


The powder room still needs a new toilet, and the furniture needs to be put back, but it looks so awesome!

Mom and dad want to make some other improvements to the house, starting with paint. I can't wait to show you their projects!